Glory to God ! – SC PERSONHOOD ACT ( S.217) passes SenateJudiciary Subcommittee favorably by 3Y-2N vote – April 26, 2017________________________________________
________________________________________– The SC Personhood Act ( S.217) passed favorably out of a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Wednesday shortly before 11am, April 26, by a vote of 3 Yeas ( Rice , Gambrell, Talley) to 2 Nays (Bright Matthews, McLeod).– The bill now goes to the full Judiciary Committee, which presently has 22 members (1 vacancy), of which 13 are Republicans and 9 are Democrats; however only nine Republican members of the Judiciary Committee are co-sponsors of S.217 [ Climer, Gambrell, Goldfinch, Rice , Shealy, Talley, Turner, Timmons, Young ]. There are four Republicans on the Judiciary Committee who are not co-sponsors of S.217 [ Massey (Senate Majority ( Republican ) Leader; Chairman Senate Rules Committee), Rankin (Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman), Senn , and the only presently openly, repeatedly, long-term, declared opponentof S.217, Campsen (Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee Chairman) ]. None of the 9 Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are presently co-sponsoring S.217.– The April 26 meeting was scheduled to convene at 9am, but was started about 15 minutes late. The full Senate was scheduled to go into session in the Senate chamber over at the State House at 11am, which placed a specific time limit on the length of the S.217 Subcommittee hearing.– The hearing room was changed only the day before ( 4/25 ) to Room 209, which is the same size as the prior Room 207, with an audience seating capacity of just 50 ( The March 30 S.217 hearing was held in Room 308 with an audience seating capacity of 90, and there were people standing along two walls and overflowing out into the hallway at the March 30 S.217 hearing. ). On Wednesday, Room 209 was filled including a few spots for standing room, and then there were many other people still out in the hallway.

– The Subcommittee chairwoman Senator Bright Matthews [ D – appointed by “Republican” Senator Luke Rankin (R-Horry) ] explained at the beginning of the meeting that time would have to be allowed at the end of the meeting for the Subcommittee to vote on the bill, and so speakers would not be called beyond a certain time ahead of the end of the meeting to allow that vote to take place.

– Four of those who were allowed to speak in support of the SC Personhood Act ( S.217) were Eva Edl, Johnny Gardner, Rolf Baghdady, and Richard Cash. The videos of their testimonies are available below:

Eva Edl – 82 years old, survivor of a Communist starvation camp in Yugoslavia at end of WW2

( Several other supporters of the SC Personhood Act ( S.217) were present who were also signed up to speak, but who were not afforded that opportunity by the Subcommittee chairwoman Senator Bright Matthews [ D – appointed by “Republican” Senator Luke Rankin (R-Horry) ]. )

After the conclusion of the SC Personhood Act ( S.217) Judiciary Subcommittee, and the vote to pass S.217 favorably: From Left to Right, Pat Hunter, wife of Dr. Johnny Hunter, and Eva Edl. Dr. Johnny Hunter is the national director of the Life Education and Resource Netwlork (L.E.A.R.N.), a Christian, pro-life organization which focuses on reaching Christian black pastors to become involved in pro-life efforts ( Dr. Hunter was signed up to speak and had a short, one-page statement prepared, but was not afforded the opportunity to address the S.217 Subcommitee during the hearing.) [ See http://BlackGenocide.org ]

– Senator Luke Rankin (R – Horry) has still not committed to vote for S.217 SC Personhood Act with no amendments in full Senate Judiciary Committee which he chairs.______________________________________
______________________________________– Please continue to call and request Senator Luke Rankin, Chairman Judiciary Committee:1) Sign on to co-sponsor S.217 as soon as possible.2) Commit to vote in support of S.217without any amendments in the full Judiciary Committee.

When calling/leaving messages/e-mailing, remind Senator Luke Rankin he voted in 2016 for the S.719 SC Personhood Amendment on April 12, 2016 ( Minutes p.5 ) in the full Senate Judiciary Committee; and remind Senator Rankin he also voted in 2016 for Special Order for the S.719 SC Personhood Amendment on the floor of the full SC Senate on May 11, 2016. [ At the time 23-year incumbent Senator Rankin was facing Republican opposition from a Myrtle Beach Republican in the June 2016 Primary ].

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Lawmakers in South Carolina are currently considering a bill that would declare that the unborn have protection as persons.

Lt. Gov. Kevin Bryant recently introduced S. 217, also known as the Personhood Act of South Carolina. It simply recognizes that both the federal and state Constitutions acknowledge God as being the Creator of life and the bestower of liberty.

“The General Assembly acknowledges that all persons are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,” it reads in part. “The General Assembly acknowledges that personhood is God-given, as all men are created in the image of God.”

“The rights guaranteed by Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution of this State, that no person shall be deprived of life without due process of law nor denied the equal protection of the laws, vest at fertilization for each born and preborn human being,” the bill continues.

[COLUMBIA, SC] The “Personhood Act of South Carolina” has been introduced once again in the South Carolina General Assembly, in both the SC Senate ( S.217 introduced January 10 ), and the SC House ( H.3530 introduced January 19 ). The Senate bill was introduced by then-Senator Kevin Bryant, who was elevated to the position of SC Lieutenant Governor Wednesday, January 25, after former Lt Gov Henry McMaster was elevated to the office of SC Governor on January 24 ( following the SC Constitution’s order of succession ) immediately upon former SC Gov Nikki Haley’s resignation after her confirmation by the US Senate to be US Ambassador to the United Nations. At the present time, the Senate bill ( S.217 ) has 12 Republican co-sponsors in the 46–seat SC Senate, which presently has 27 Republicans and 8 Democrats. However the House bill ( H.3530 ), introduced by Representative Steven Long, currently has 49 Republican co-sponsors in the 124-seat SC House, which presently has 78 Republicans and 44 Democrats. Principled pro-life, pro-personhood South Carolinians are asked to visit scstatehouse.gov, contact and ask their SC Senator, especially Republicans, to sign on as co-sponsors of S.217 right away.

Personhood legislation was first introduced in the SC Legislature in 1998, and has been active every year since, over the last 19 years [ History of Personhood Legislation in South Carolina (1998 – 2016) ]. In 2005, a Personhood Act ( H.3213 ) passed the SC House, albeit with a fatal flaw “exception” amendment, before being killed in the SC Senate; and in 2016, a Personhood Constitutional Amendment ( S.719 ) passed a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee in March, and passed the full Senate Judiciary Committee in April, before being defeated on the full Senate floor in a vote for Special Order on May 11, 2016 ( 24 Senators voted Yes for Special Order, 16 Senators voted No, and 2 Senators voted Present, however a 2/3 super-majority was required by SC Senate Rules, and so even though a majority of Senators voted Yes, the motion failed.)

The “Personhood Act of SC” recognizes the Creator God-given, unalienable right to life of every human being as a “person” beginning at fertilization, in the South Carolina Code of Laws. Senate bill S.217 states:

“The right to life for each born and preborn human being vests at fertilization.” and “The rights guaranteed by Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution of this State [SC], that no person shall be deprived of life without due process of law nor denied the equal protection of the laws, vest at fertilization for each born and preborn human being.” [ Section 1-1-330, S.217 ]